Friday, October 26, 2007

Francisco Mondragon: Murdered by the Police in Highland Park

Francisco Mondragon was murdered by the Los Angeles Police Departmenton February 11, 2007 at 2am. He was only 24 years old and suffered fromschizophrenia.

The cops were responding to a call at a group home for the disabled inHighland Park, Fair Oaks Manor at 5035 Echo St (where he had lived forabout a year).

Officer Ivan McMillan, and his partner, shot Francisco Mondragon andkilled him for allegedly lunging at them with a screw driver.

The nurse who had called the police regretted having to rely on them,because of the murder that resulted from this.

The director of the institution, that Mondragon was in, said thatFrancisco had been heavily medicated when he was murdered, and when hehad been supposedly threatening people and the police.

Mondragon's family found out about his death through the news, notthrough the LAPD themselves. The hospital had alerted the family that thepolice had "taken him somewhere," but the police never alerted the familyof what had happened.

The LAPD spokesperson could not even comment or apologize for notinforming the family of Mondragon's death.

Francisco Maldragon's story is not an isolated incident, and he willnot be forgotten. This is a daily occurrence in our communities. Thepolice, media and powers-that-be want us to forge,t and want to brush thisunder the rug. The system will never provide the type of support ourcommunities and our families need, not even after the fact one of theiragents murders unjustly (because they have not provided the supportFrancisco Maldragon's family needs).

They can't resolve the problems that we face, or provide any help.The only thing the police know how to do is murder us, brutalize us, andlock us up.

Mondragon's guardian and cousin, Cristina Saucedo Garcia said,"Calling the police should not result in you being killed, if you onlyhave a screwdriver." His cousin said that Francisco was an intelligenthuman being who happened to have suffered from schizophrenia (he had a 4.0GPA). The LAPD murdered him, a mentally disabled person; there is noexcuse for this. We demand justice, we will never forget!

Cop Watch Los Angeles

www.copwatchla.org

1 877 8 NO COPS

copwatchla@riseup.net

*Cop Watch LA is providing support for Mondragon's family and helpingbring this case to light -- so it won't fade from our consciousness.We will continue to struggle for Francisco Mondragon, Suzie Lopez Pena,Deandre Brunston, Devin Brown, Gonzalo Martinez, and the countlessothers that were taken from us by the police.